Function of Jnana
Q. You have been saying that jnana [knowledge] is essential; what exactly is the function of jnana?
A. Jnana makes you realize the atmaswarupa, that is to say, your own reality.
Q. And yoga [union of the self with the Supreme]? If a person has no yoga, what happens?
A. He is like a lame man.
Q. And, if a person has no jnana?
A. He is like a blind man.
Q. They say that yoga destroys all blemishes, and removes all faults. How does that happen?
A. Can rice become eatable unless it is boiled over a fire? By yoga and other disciplines, the chitta [consciousness] becomes soft. It is called tapas, heat; it becomes tapta, hot. Moreover, yoga and jnana are like oil and flame. The oil is yoga and jnana is the illu-mining flame of the lamp.
Q. Swami! Pardon me for asking this. There are so many teaching Vedanta, now; have they all realized truth, experienced this reality?
A. How can this be said? You can yourselves judge them. See if they have purity of heart, purity of thought, purity of mind, and knowledge of the inherent and immanent Paramatma [God]; only such have the right to teach Vedanta, for they alone can experience the Vedanta.
Q. The teaching by those who have no such qualities, will it benefit to a certain extent at least?
A. Fine descriptions of the various delicacies and tasty- dishes will not satisfy the hungry man. The Vedan-ta that stops with words is like that. It has to be experienced in order to satisfy. Again, listening without eagerness to learn is also ineffective. Unless the teacher has detachment from sense-objects, his teaching is but parrot talk. Those who come to listen, without desire to learn and benefit, are only engaged in showy demonstrations.
Q. Baba! You say that purity of heart, purity of mind and knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Paramatma are essential. Then, of what use is sadhana done through the body, composed of the five elements? Is it not enough if one acquires the jnana of swaswarupa?
A. Wonderful fellow! Simply because the rudder is essential, can you take it that the boat is unnecessary? How can you cross the river with the rudder alone? Believe that the Lord has conferred upon you the body as a boat to cross the sea of samsara [world], and chitta as the main thing in it. That is the first step in Vedanta. Swaswarupa-jnana is the rudder really. But, that alone is not sufficient; physical habits and disciplines have also to be attended to. To attain the ethereal eternal stage, the disciplined body is important.
Source: Prasnottara Vahini
